Automobile winter top



Feb. 1*5-192 7 J. w. OSTEN AUTOMOBILE WINTER T01 Filed May 4 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VEE' III Feb. 15 '192 7 J. w. OSTEN AUTOMOBILE WINTER TOP Filed May 4 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5' JE EL-1 G j'oseph Z22 Gsien Patented Feb. 15. 1927.

JOSEPH w. OSTEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLinoIs, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AUTO FABRICS PRODUCTS, me, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE -\NINCE' ER TOP.

Application filed May 4, 1925, Serial No. 27,652.

This invention relates to automobile tops in general and more particularly to such tops as are adapted to be converted for winter use. It is obviously very advantageous to convert an ordinary touring car with the usual top therefor into a closed car during' cold .and inclement weather. It is usually thecase with touring tops for automobiles that they are constructed with a more or less rectangular shape and the lines of the body of the car merge inwardly toward the front, such that the portion of the top at either side of the car extends outwardly of the vertical plane of the side of the body. It is thus very difficult to provide a' means for neatly and efficiently fitting the Winter top panels of a car to the ordinary touring top to convert the latter into a winter top. Hereto forethis has been done by providing a block of wood on either side of the car for filling in the space between the top edges of the side panels and the depending edges of the top. This obviously required a large amount of Work for accommodating slight variations in sizes of body or top. In addition this method required a large amount. of Work,

such as drilling of holes, etc.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved means for converting a touring car having an ordinary top into a closed car by providing said top with simplified improved side closures adapted to i be readily secured in place, without necessitating any changes in'the top structure.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved side panel supporting means adapted to be readily disposed between the top edges of winter side panels and the sides of the ordinary automobile top, said panel supporting means being simple, economical, easily installed and readily adjustable to accommodate variations in structure oftops and bodies.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter.

more fully described.

On the drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a winter top embodying the principles of this invention.

tal section taken on line IV-IV of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sect-ion taken on line VV of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on line VI-VI of Figure 4. F igure 7 is a fragmentary vertical detail section taken on line VII- 1711 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail view taken on line V IIIVIII of Figure 1.

Figure '9 is an enlarged detail sectio taken on line IX-IX of Figure '2.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line X-X of Figure 2.

Figurell is a detail sectional View taken on line XI-XI of Figure 2. Figure 12 is a detail sectional view on line XII-XII of Figure 1.

Figure 13 is a detail plan view of the longitudinal extending strip illustrating the method of attachment to the front end of the automobile top. Figure 14 is a section taken along line XIVXIV of Figure 13. V F Figure 15 is a vertical section, with parts removed, of a modifiedform of a device embodying this invention.

taken Figure 16 is an enlarged detail section 1 Referring to Figure 1,.there is shown a usual touring top 1 mounted in a standard position on an automobile body 2.- Mounted on the forward end of the body 2 is aiwind shield 3 of the usual type which has provided thereon at the top thereof a translOO versely extending rod 4. Secured to the rod 4 on either side thereof are the usual brackets 5 and clamps 6 pivotally mounted on said brackets for holding the top 1 in its stretched Engaged around each clamp 6 (Figure 13) 1s a small flange clamp raised position.

member 7; The clamp 7 isrigidly secured by bolts or other suitable means to a lngitudinally extending bar 8." Each longitudi Figures a-ndJQQeXtends downwardly and nally extending bar 8 is supported inter? mediate its ends by means of a clamp memher 79 mounted on a standard member 10 of ether-top frame elements (see Figures 2 and 9). Rearwardly ofeach clamp 9 the end of the bar 8 is, secured to an upright bar or rod 11, the upper end of which is hook shaped and engaged over ,anotherimember OI strut iron 12 of the top frame elements (see =Figures SandlO). :The bar .11, assholwn in is secured to i the body ,2. It will be noted by ;reference to Figure 13 that/each bar 8' extends rearwardlyvsubstantially in the vervtical plane. of the V-sidezof" the body to a point adjawnt "to the line ,in which said. a plane meets t'lievertical plane of the side ofthe top.

VASfShOWIl -111- detail in Figured, the rear end of longitudinally extending outer, bar

15 is .secured to the upper portion of atop frame--element 'L3Hby a clamp l4 or other suitable" means. Each bar '15- extends forwardlysubstantially in the vertical plane of :the side 'ofthe top 1, and is secured at its forward end-toia transverse abow .or top frame 8l61n81it (16,:513 shown more particularly in Figure $7.- The bar 15 has folded therearound a fabricrmaterial '17 similar to (that of which the atopcovering is made; The

adapted to extend through the eyelets 18. and s be turned to hold said i material 171\nd. bar-e175 therein securedtethe -element 116..

material 17 is-sewedito; provide a sheath for said bar 15. As shown inFig'ure'7, the ma terial 11 7 is slotted andprova'ded wvitlr'eyelets;18. qSec-u re'di to the element 16 arerotat- :ableqfiat zhealded 13111311 tp-ins 19 which are The material 17 extendsdnwardly over the eupipervejdge, ofithesbar Sand isglooped there arounchas shown in Figure 6,. and is-sewed to provide :521 sheath :for containing said bar 8. iThe-zmaterial '17 extends ,rearwardly o-nmthe bars 15. and 8 and bridges the space vrbe'tween said bars.

- Panelw1ne1itbers20 are.- secured to the bars Baby means of bolts or-rivets 21 and are secured :at {their 1 lower gmargins: to the body ,'of:;tlie-:car byamearns of screws 22, or other suitable means. The panelsfZOHanepnoVided witht-gmetalireenforcing :orrbrace strips 28. Securedftoythe doors-12st ofwthe cariare door panels :25 which are v provided with metallic inner frames having verticalumetal stripsi26, 'Ithe dowel ends: of gwihlch ;-:are substantially 'Zshaped and secuneid sto the doors ,24 as shown iniFgigurei-ll. There-isprovided 'at the) forwand'inclimed edge of zeaohz front door panel 25 :astizipxQ'Y;:whioh isadapte'd toebe seorrredwto therbar Sands the body'2 as: shown in -V Fig1rre 1 for enclosing the space 4 between 7 each {front door pa=ne1 525? and' the wind shield13. Asshowal'in:FaigurelQ the vertical edges between the panels 20 and the door panels 25r and 25 are constructed tozoverlap'so as to'be as air proof as possible. As

shown in Figure 6, the outer bars 15 areadditionally supported intermediate their ends by means of hooks 28-securedzto =the outersides of the material on the bars 15 or directly to the bars 15, if preferred. This arrangement'tends to insure a more perfect weather proof connection between the top 1 and the bars 15 with the material 17 spanning the space betweenthebarsfi and 15.

The hooks 28 are distributed along .the lengths of-the bars 15 and are adapted to engage in slots or-openings in the hem or margin 29 of thetop 1. There is provided on each side zat-theextreme rear -lof theitqp 1 mside of the top coveringanunneififiap '30 (Figure 8) which is 'secnredi-to the upper edge of each rear panel 20. v

There is shown in Figures L5,;16and 17 .a modified form of securing therearend of the bar 8? to the inclined top brace bar v31. In this case the intermediate clamps 9 and 111 areprovided as in theprevious. embodiment, but the bars 65 are longerthanthe bars 8 and extendmuch farthento. the rearzanacl are clamped toa rear top frame element .31 by means of clamps 32, each-of 'Whichisp-ro- V videdwith boltBZ-S securedithereon. The;

bolt extends through a slot 34 in theba r 8 and is clamped:v thereto by means of a-zmut and Washer In this modification the outer bars 15 would also extend rearward ly to a point adjacent theclanaps 32and l1hematerial .17 would lil'ceWise-eXten'd further.

to the rear than. in the previous embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1.8, there isprovided' a modified; means of connecting theharz 8- to the clamp '6 which ;C0,I'1SlSl3S in providlng Ian integral flange 37.011 the frontend of each bar 8 .The flange 37 is. adapted to lie-spring i pressed by means of a J butterfly nut 38 ,en-

gaging a spring 39 :zl or pressing said :flange '110 against a shoulder on the -claanp' 7:6- .As

shown in. Figure 19. the device of Figure-'18 V vconnections therefor and the ,imaterial .17

there-between provide a very simple and ef-r fic'ient means disposed between the counter edges of the top and theztopsmargins ofthe door and side panels 20,25 and-25 whereby the winter sides may be easily and quickly installed on: almost any; touring; car for :converting the top into an elficient Winter-top. I am aware that many changes maybe made, and numerous details of construction may be Varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 7 p 1. In combination with automobile side panels, an automobile top, flexible means ex tending inwardly from adjacent the longitudinal edges of said top to said side panels,

and means for fitting said flexible means to said side panels, of means for fitting sald flexible means to said top comprising a longitudinally extending hook carrying bar mounted along the edge of said top with its hooks engaged in the edge portion of the material forming the top. 7

2. The combination with a touring car top, of a longitudinally extending outer bar, a longitudinally extending inner bar spaced therefrom, an adjustable support for the rear end of said inner bar, flexible means connecting said bars, hooks on said outer bar member secured to said inner bar, said hook member detachably supporting a portion of said inner bar on a strut iron of said top and securing said inner bar to the automobile body, flexible material connecting said outer bar with said inner bar, and side panels supportedon said inner bar and connected to the automobile body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name- JOSEPH W. OSTEN. 

